Viscount Ambassador roof repair - correct hatch?

[junctionbox]

As from yesterday I'm now the new owner of a registered and mobile '64 VA chassis# D756. A previous owner at some stage tried to cram 3 inch thick insulation batts into the ceiling cavity. As a result the masonite ceiling was sagging and the external ally roof panels were bulging - and it all leaked like seive to boot. So I've started removing the lot and intend to redo it with a little more respect for this old girl Just wondering about the hatch. Does it look like the correct one for this model or is it some sort of home made concoction ?

[junctionbox]

Pictured from below

[Franklin1]

G'day junctionbox,

I think you'll find the hatch is most likely original, or at least is true to the era. That box lid type hatch is typical of that time period. I can see in your photo that yours has the pressing marks (the X-shaped lines) to give it additional strength, so it's certainly a ridgy-didge hatch cover, even if it wasn't actually the original one.

On a separate note, I'd be interested in knowing if your van has an aluminium frame on the sides. They were an option up until about May 1965, after which all Viscount models got the ali frame.

cheers,
Al.

[Rattles]

I had a 1965 15 x 7 Ambassador and the Hatch looks correct, with the exception of the dowels joining the spring hinges together.

Rattles

[junctionbox]

Ok, thanks for the feedback I can now look at retaining the hatch. I've removed most of the old mouldy Masonite ceiling. Was Masonite used in Ambassadors or could it be a latter refurbishment?
Next step will be to remove the old dented ally roof panels and replace with new diamond pattern ally if available. From what I read in these threads it's not easy to find?
I will also be removing the upper wall panels (also dented) which should expose the wall frame (ally or wood?) - will post pic when I get to that task.
Has anybody had any experience removing dents (panel beating?) in wall panels or should I assume it's hopeless task?

PS: I've changed the title of this thread to encompass other tech issues that may arise.

[Franklin1]

Has anybody had any experience removing dents (panel beating?) in wall panels or should I assume it's hopeless task?

No, it's possible. Like all damage, it depends on how bad it is to start with, but aluminium cladding should be fairly forgiving and go back into shape. I did a lot of "panelbeating" on my non-vintage cladding, and it came up looking pretty good (for an amateur ). You won't get it perfect, but you can get it to look reasonable, and still have a hint of that well-worn vintage look about it.

I used smooth timber as the base underneath, and then used various bits of timber in different sizes on the top side as the means of knocking the dents out (by that I mean I hit the bits of timber with a hammer lightly until the dent had gone back into position).

The professionals probably use rubber hammers and other appropriate equipment, but I don't have any of that stuff, so I just improvised. Came up good enough for my critical eye.

cheers,
Al.

[junctionbox]

Thanks Al. Success at panel beating will sure save a lot of heartache chasing replacement panels for the walls.
I'm about to get on the phone and ring some Melb ally suppliers to try and find some diamond patern sheets for the roof. I note from reading other threads that one of the suggested suppliers, Camec, (maybe it was from one of your earlier posts) is trade supply only in Melb and have no retail outlet.
What about the Masonite ceiling? Do you have any idea if that would be original? It's pretty heavy. I would have expected to find ply?
Arthur.

[Franklin1]

G'day Arthur,

I should have emphasised in my post above that all the panelbeating I did on my cladding was on the back lawn of our house. I removed ALL of the cladding during my restoration, and so each piece was laid on the grass and worked on individually. I don't have any experience in trying to panelbeat the cladding while it is still attached to the van, so you might have to experiment if you are leaving your cladding in position.

The ceiling lining could very well be masonite. A lot of vans from that time period had patterned masonite ceilings (lots of holes like "pegboard"). I'd be thinking that any masonite ceiling would be made out of thin stuff (1/8" thick) rather than the thicker stuff, but maybe I'm wide of the mark. Again my only experience relates to vans with plywood ceilings, so I'm not an expert with the masonite version.

My faulty memory tells me that somebody on this forum was recently talking about being able to get that diamond pattern ali from somewhere. Was it Olfarts or overlanda, or someone else? Hmmm...can't remember who exactly.

cheers,
Al.

[Rattles]

[Was Masonite used in Ambassadors or could it be a latter refurbishment?

I will also be removing the upper wall panels (also dented) which should expose the wall frame (ally or wood?) - [/quote]

From memory (40 years ago) the inside of the roof was Canite in the Ambassador I had.

I think you will find the frame is Wood the Aluminum framed I think came in the late 60s and were called Duralvan

Rattles

[junctionbox]

Apr 16, 2012 10:18:08 GMT 10 Franklin1 said:

The ceiling lining could very well be masonite. A lot of vans from that time period had patterned masonite ceilings (lots of holes like "pegboard"). I'd be thinking that any masonite ceiling would be made out of thin stuff (1/8" thick) rather than the thicker stuff, Al.

Well it's as thick as a brick, mouldy, and water logged. From what I can see some cowboy previous owner has removed the roof clading and maybe replaced the ceiling and stuffed it full of ceiling batts which were water logged. I've now peeled off a couple of roof sheets and the roof framework looks pretty dodgy so I'll be replacing that and then fitting new roof clading and a new ceiling. I might go with thin precoated (white on one side) masonite or maybe thin ply.

[Franklin1]

G'day rattles,

...the Aluminum framed I think came in the late 60s and were called Duralvan

Nah, the Duralvan name was first used in 1965. From late 1963 until early 1965, Viscount offered people the choice of a timber frame, or an aluminium frame for 50 Pounds extra. In early 1965, the timber choice was no longer available, and everything got an aluminium frame. That's when the term Duralvan started being used.

cheers,
Al.

[junctionbox]

Apr 16, 2012 11:01:08 GMT 10 Rattles said:

From memory (40 years ago) the inside of the roof was Canite in the Ambassador I had.
I think you will find the frame is Wood
Rattles

Yep, looks like you're correct! While removing the masonite I found remnants of canite and the wall frames are wood. I think it might be easier to work/replace rotted wood than corroded ali?

I must've rung a dozen ali suppliers today only to be told what I probably already knew...you can'y buy diamond pattern ali sheet in Melb! Williamstown metals can order it from Rimex ex Sydney but charge a whopping $150 stocking fee. Think I might go for the stucco pattern from a local Action Ali store @ $35/sheet...I'm not that fussed as I'm not exactly doing a pedantic concours d'elegance resto

[junctionbox]

aluminium cladding should be fairly forgiving and go back into shape.....cheers, Al.

Al, you're spot on. I've removed the upper wall panels on both sides and tapped them back into shape. Man, that stuff is so thin!...maybe 0.6mm?...a bit like panel beating Coke cans? I've used some steel wool soap pads to clean them and they are coming up a treat!

[bigjoe47]

Hi, this maybe a bit late but I have 2 Viscounts 17ft and 20ft. The 17 ft has the ORIGINAL hatch just like yours with one exception which it is lined with plywood the same as the interrior lining.